UNMISS Announces Relocation Of Foreign Nationals From It PoC Site In Juba

In a statement by the United Nation Mission spokesperson, Joseph Contreras the process began on 27 August with the transfer of 97 foreign nationals to Juba Town, and another 16 were transported to Juba Town on Friday, 28 August.  

Contreras said the relocation programme is being conducted by UNMISS in conjunction with the office of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

He said the Mission is also coordinating closely with the national government’s Commission for Refugee Affairs of South Sudan.  

“With the change in the security situation, there is no need for the foreign nationals to continue to reside in the UNMISS camp” said Contreras in the statement.

“UNMISS has worked with the foreign nationals, relevant UN agencies and national partners to identify other options for their continued stay in South Sudan” he said.

The Mission said earlier this year, the Relief, Re-integration and Protection Section of UNMISS alongside IOM and UNHCR engaged with the foreign nationals and encouraged them to seek living options outside the PoC site at UN house that had been assigned to them.

It said, IOM provided passports to foreign nationals upon request and UNHCR facilitated the provision of asylum-seeking certificates that will enable them to remain legally in South Sudan while their individual applications for refugee status are reviewed.  

“Some foreign nationals opted to seek formal refugee status in South Sudan, and their applications will be subject to a Refugee Status Determination process”.  

UNMISS said the 510 foreign nationals who registered for the relocation programme were given three options from which to choose: a move to Juba Town; a transfer to the Western Equatoria State capital of Yambio; or a move to the UNHCR-administered Makpandu refugee settlement in Yambio.

“To date, 264 of them have made their selections, and 104 have voluntarily signed up for relocation to Yambio, which is expected to commence on Tuesday, 1 September”.  

The UN Mission affirms its continuous mandate for the protections of civilians in imminent threat of physical danger.

UNMISS said, the outbreak of the conflict in South Sudan in December 2013 triggered an influx of hundreds of foreign nationals into the PoC sites established by UNMISS in the opening days of the fighting to fulfill its protection-of-civilians mandate. Most of these foreign nationals come from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.